UCSF

Given that weight gain patterns in adolescents receiving outpatient Family-Based Treatment (FBT) have not been characterized, the purpose of this study was to examine trajectories of weight gain in a group of adolescent patients with a restrictive eating disorder [e.g., anorexia nervosa (AN) and atypical AN] receiving FBT. This study also examined the association of patient characteristics with weight gain trajectories, including age, diagnosis, weight suppression, presenting BMI-for-age percentile, and eating pathology. Latent growth mixture modeling was used to identify distinct weight trajectories, as defined by change in BMI-for-age percentile, for 153 adolescents with AN or atypical AN, receiving FBT. There were five distinct weight gain trajectory profiles for adolescents receiving FBT for a restrictive eating disorder. Younger age and greater weight suppression were associated with more rapid weight gain trajectories. A pattern of slow and consistent weight gain was associated with older age and less eating pathology. There was considerable variability in weight gain trajectories in youth receiving outpatient FBT for a restrictive eating disorder. This suggests that patients' presenting information can be used to inform expectations regarding weight gain trajectories.